Anyone walking in the mountains and foothills of Andalucia in Spain is likely to come across the delightful sight of a herd of goats browsing on lavender and thyme, while their goatherd and his dogs laze in the shade of an olive tree. Wandering herds of goats have been part of the mountain scene for thousands of years, and have often been the cause of much overgrazing and environmental damage. Today, however, goat farming in areas like the parque Natural de las Sierras de Tejeda y Almijara combines ancient grazing patterns with sound environmental management and modern production methods to meet the demand for healthy goatmeat, cheese and goatsmilk.
The Parque Natural de Las Sierra de Tejeda y Almijara
This magnificent natural park is a huge unspoiled tumble of mountain peaks about 50 km east of Malaga in Spain. The park itself is almost entirely free of houses and roads, but a number of traditional white mountain villages are scattered round its edges. The park authorities encourage several traditional economic activities like beekeeping, cattle and sheep farming to take place within the Park boundaries to help manage the environment and maintain the economic viability of the villages. One of the most valuable of these activities is goat herding, and every day, from farms around the villages, goatherds drive their flocks up into the hills to graze.
The Goat Herds
The authorities of the Parque Natural de las Sierras de Tejeda y Almijara permit about 4000 goats to be grazed within the park boundaries, but some herds also graze on private land around the edge of the park or straddle the boundary. The goat's owners pay for their grazing rights in the park but often negotiate to pay private landowners in kind with the occasional kid or cheese.
A typical herd is around 150-200 goats, although some may be larger. One old timer recalls driving a herd of 800 goats across the mountains to Granada, an exhausting journey which took several weeks.
The herds range eddy and swirl across the mountains like an encroaching tide, browsing impartially on the in ancient olive groves, on the aromatic lavender, rosemary, cistus and thyme which carpet the open mountain slopes, or simply on the grasses and wildflowers of road verges.
Goats and the Environment
Nevertheless, finding good grazing, especially in times of drought , is an important skill for the shepherd and the best grazing is at a premium, so herds tend to congregate in certain areas. I once found three goat herds grazing within a few hundred metres of one another in the hills above the village of Salares, the music of their bells echoing around the valley.
The goatherd must also ensure that the land is not overgrazed - historically a major cause of environmental damage. By keeping his goats moving, and varying his grazing routes, he ensures that the goat is a positive environmental influence; the dense, goat cropped carpets of cistus and lavender on the hillsides of the park bear witness to the goatherds' skill.
The Product - Goats Milk, Cheese and Goatmeat
The mountain grazed goat is a most productive animal; consuming only the natural growth of mountain herbs and grasses it gives delicious, healthy goatmeat, goats cheese and milk.
Today, however, health and safety rules all, and even such a traditional activity of goat herding must conform to those rules. I recently paid a visit to a goat farm to see the modern high tech production operation which backs the herdsman and his goats, and discovered how one owner is recruiting a new generation of goatherds.
Tony Allen - In 2004 I began my "fourth career" as a freelance writer. In my first career, after training at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, I ...
